ARTS 12
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Burnaby SEE PG. 19
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
LOCAL NEWS – LOCAL MATTERS.
There’s more at Burnabynow.com
Council pulls controversial rezonings from hearing
Hurley running for mayor Kelvin Gawley
kgawley@burnabynow.com
But councillor says it wasn’t due to demovictions protest
Kelvin Gawley
kgawley@burnabynow.com
Burnaby city council pulled two controversial Metrotown rezoning proposals from the docket of a public hearing less than 24 hours before they were set to go up for discussion. Coun. Colleen Jordan made a motion at council Monday night for the two proposals – a 34-storey highrise on Barker Avenue and a 24-storey building on Marlborough Avenue – to be rescinded from Tuesday’s scheduled public hearing. The proposals will be sent back to staff, who will ask the developers to explore the possibility of including non-market rental units as part of their plans. Jordan has previously asked for other Metrotown rezoning applications to go through the same process. She said pulling the items from The developer the next day’s hearis probably not ing was not a reaction a planned rally set going to be happy. to to precede Tuesday’s meeting. Rally organizers said they expected dozens of people to come voice opposition to the proposals, which would see dozens of units in lowrise apartment buildings razed to make room for the new towers. “There’s been rallies since last July,” Jordan told the NOW following the meeting. “Every public hearing that had anything to do with Metrotown, there’s been a rally.” Jordan said the Marlborough and Barker proposals passed first reading and were scheduled for Tuesday’s hearing in May, before it became clear to council they could ask more of developers with governments in Victoria and Ottawa willing to help. Jordan was asked how she expects people to react to the items being pulled at such short notice. “The developer is probably not going to be happy, and the people that were planning on coming and making speeches tomorrow, maybe they’ll be happy or not, I don’t know,” she said. “Hopefully they’ll be happy that what we’re trying to do is get more non-market housing.”
HEAD OVER HEELS Brian Metzak of Vancouver races with his wife Paula hanging upside down Sunday in the annual wife-carrying contest that’s part of the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Burnaby. The Metzaks won the race. See more photos from this event on page 11. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER
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Mike Hurley says he will attract support from across the political spectrum to topple Derek Corrigan’s “toxic” reign and become the next mayor of Burnaby. “I’ve always answered the call to serve the city, and now I want to work with all of you to build a better Burnaby,” the recently retired firefighter said at the launch of his campaign. The former acting assistant fire chief of the Burnaby Fire Department also served as the president of the Burnaby firefighters’ union for eight years. He formally announced his mayoral run Tuesday morning at the Bonsor 55+ Seniors Centre in front of a crowd of about 100 people. Campaign manager Lorne West said Hurley has already attracted a diverse base of support. He pointed out that Conservative SenatorYonah Martin was in attendance and that Hurley’s campaign team includes longtime NDP campaigner and former Burnaby Citizens Association president Patricia Pratt and Liberal campaign organizer Michael Hillman. “Welcome to Mike’s big tent,”West said. Hurley harshly criticized Corrigan and current councillors, all member of the BCA, for their policies allowing the demolition of affordable rental apartment buildings to make way for high-rise towers in Metrotown. Continued on page 4
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